


Once Mine, Now Yours

by DarkPilot



Series: Conversations that Should Have Happened/AU in which Feelings Matter - VLD [1]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Just a little Gay, Keith needs a hug, Lance Needs a Hug, M/M, Mild Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Right after episode two, Season 3, bonding moment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-08
Updated: 2017-08-08
Packaged: 2018-12-12 19:37:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 854
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11743776
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DarkPilot/pseuds/DarkPilot
Summary: Keith goes to visit Lance and give him the red bayard. After all, it's not his anymore.Takes place right after Season 3, Episode 2. Some spoilers for Season 3.





	Once Mine, Now Yours

The knock came on Lance's door, hesitant and soft. It was barely more than three taps, much like a whisper.

"Come in!" Lance called with a broad smile on his face as the doors hissed open. "Hunk, that yo-"

"No. Just me." It was Keith, wearing that same forlorn expression he'd had ever since Shiro's disappearance. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah, sure." The doors slid shut. "What's up?"

"Nothing," Keith said. He scratched his head. "It's just that, you know, in light of recent changes in team lions, I figured, well, you're in Red now. You should have this."

Keith's bayard materialized in his hand, and he held it out to Lance, who hesitantly took it. "Thanks, man."

"Don't thank me. It's just until we find Shiro again." Keith turned and was about to exit, but Lance put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him.

"Keith - "

"Is there anything else?" Keith's tone sounded almost too tired to snap at him.

Lance averted his gaze as Keith turned back to him. "No, I guess, it's just that - he really meant a lot to you, didn't he?"

It was Keith's turn to look away. "He meant a lot to all of us."

"Well yeah, obviously, but you took it the worst out of all of us, man," Lance pointed out. "Right after the you-know-what, you didn't sleep for, like, a week."

Keith's eyes widened slightly. "How did you know that?"

"Dude, my room is right over the combat simulator! Sometimes, _I_ couldn't sleep because of the noise you were making!" Lance crossed his arms. "Also, it was kind of obvious. You spent too much time on your own. It was always either your lion or the sim."

"What's it to you, Lance?" Keith snapped. "It's not like you'd care. If you're trying to be nice - "

"I'm not trying to be nice, you hot-head!" Lance shot back. "I'm just trying to look out for my family!"

The words hung in the air, both Paladins stunned by what he'd just said.

"Lance - "

"Okay, sure, I can't cook like Hunk, and I'm not a genius like Pidge," Lance rambled. "I can't work the Castle like Allura or Coran, and it's clear that I'm not a leader like you or Shiro. But you know what? I can at least be there when people need me to, because apparently, that doesn't require any special skills."

"Lance, I'm not a leader," Keith confessed quietly. "I don't know why the Black Lion chose me. I'm not Shiro."

"It's kind of obvious that you're not Shiro, Keith," Lance said. At Keith's puzzled expression, he continued, "You're you. And, yeah, that's different, but that doesn't mean you're wrong or inadequate or anything. You and Shiro are just different. Maybe you should stop thinking so much about the way _he_ would lead us and start thinking about how _you_ would lead us."

"Maybe." Keith didn't sound convinced. "I just wish he were here, and that things were a little more normal."

"We're in space, and we fly magic lions. That ain't normal."

"I guess not."

"Look, man," Lance said, putting a hand on Keith's shoulder. "When I was in Red just now - she felt different from Old Blue. Like, whenever we got near you and Black, she'd sort of make this purring noise. I dunno how to describe it, but I could feel she really cares about you."

"Yeah, well, she's yours now, so - "

"My point is," Lance interrupted, "is that I think Red approves. Heck, she might actually be happy for you, you know, in that weird lion way. I just hope that one day Red'll like me as much as she likes you."

"She will," Keith said simply. "You have a strange habit of growing on people."

"Whoa, wait - did you just say something nice to me?"

"No - "

"You did!"

"I did not - "

"Aw, man, where was that camera Allura gave me, I should have recorded that - "

"You can't record people on a camera, Lance - "

"You switch it to _video mode_ , dummy - "

"You wouldn't have any space on t anyway - it's probably already full with pictures of those Puigian girls or something - "

"Aaaand now you're smiling." Lance snapped his fingers and grinned.

"No, I'm - " Keith stopped. He met Lance's eyes.

"C'mere, man." Lance held out his arms. "I'm feeling a hug."

"You are the worst." Keith stepped into the hug, and they shared a short, tight embrace.

It wasn't really a surprise that Keith pulled away first. "Thanks, Lance."

"Anytime. Thanks for the bayard."

"You better take care of Red, you hear?"

"I hear ya." Lance mock-saluted Keith. "And Keith, keep Shiro in mind, but lead us the way you're gonna lead us, not the way he would have. I know it hurts, but it's going to get better. We'll find him. Okay?"

Keith's gaze hardened, some of the old light returning to his violet-grey eyes. "Okay."

Keith exited the room, and Lance took a deep breath. He hoped he hadn't said anything wrong. The blue bayard materialized in his hand as the red one disappeared.

Time to go give Allura her bayard.


End file.
